Maidens of the Kaleidoscope

~Hakurei Shrine~ => Help Me, Eirin! => Tech Support => Topic started by: nintendonut888 on September 04, 2009, 09:12:58 AM

Title: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 04, 2009, 09:12:58 AM
Similar to my woes where the PCB and IN run a bit choppy, the PC-98 games are now running with an annoying flicker. I vaguely remember seeing a thread about this on the last forum, so I hope someone still has an answer.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 04, 2009, 06:52:28 PM
Bumping since this place isn't that frequent. But this flickering takes the place of all the sprites (including the bullets) disappearing for the smallest fraction of a second. While it's not long enough to make the game harder, it's really hard to enjoy the game with all this stuff happening. :(
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: LHCling on September 04, 2009, 10:20:49 PM
It'd help if you specified the emulator. You might've swapped after all  :V
I would think the problem is related to the refresh rate or something similar though.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 04, 2009, 10:28:38 PM
I'm still using Anex86 (actually if you wouldn't mind linking to the emulator needed to run with Fraps that'd be great).
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: LHCling on September 04, 2009, 10:38:02 PM
Here you go (http://www.zophar.net/pc98/t98-next.html). (I'm not even sure if I should be linking that tbqh)

As a heads up, recording does have an odd glitch where it'll record at the dimensions of a square or something, so you might need to "crop" the video data to the correct dimensions. Of course, I'll be detailing that later.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 04, 2009, 10:40:38 PM
Linking to an emulator isn't illegal. Linking to a ROM or whatever is. Or at least that's my understanding of it.

Also, I see rar files. That mean I need WINrar again?
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: LHCling on September 04, 2009, 10:49:19 PM
Winrar, 7-Zip, anything really goes here.

7-Zip is free; open source btw.

brb breakfast back
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: Suikama on September 05, 2009, 02:56:33 AM
Go to Config and under Video set Async to 60 and under Timing, check Timer and Vsync.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 05, 2009, 04:02:39 AM
That only succeeded in making it really jilty. >_>

I'll try that new emulator as part of my late night experimentation hour.tm
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: Matsuri on September 05, 2009, 04:15:06 AM
Next is a great emulator and Anex pales in comparison.

Protip: when in the emulation window, press F12 then F10 for fullscreen.  ;)
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 05, 2009, 09:00:25 AM
Okay, I have the emulator unzipped and everything, but uh...how do I PLAY a game with it? I honestly can't find anywhere to load the hdi files.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: LHCling on September 05, 2009, 09:07:58 AM
After opening it, you should see it say somewhere:

HD DRIVE

And a red rectangle. Click on the box next to it, then "load" the game. To start afterwards, hit the power button in the top-left corner.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 05, 2009, 09:32:32 AM
Well, that definitely fixed the flicker...but it introduced an equally horrifying problem: The music. Are you telling me the game was SUPPOSED to make the percussion louder than the melody? If Anex86 reduces the sound quality...give me the reduced sound quality. The music with this emulator is butchered even more than the Akyu version. Icemilk Magic is the best example of ear scraping. Unless there's a way to fix this...I'd rather stick with the flicker.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: Matsuri on September 05, 2009, 07:51:26 PM
With Next, you can go in the Option menu in the games, and you now have a choice between FM26 and FM96, much like some of the Windows games have an option between MIDI and WAV. FM26 is the type that Anex/whatever uses, which is what you're used to I suppose. I prefer the FM86 versions myself. Icemilk Magic sounds absolutely fine on FM86, and I know that because I've been working on LLS Extra stage all day. :P
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 05, 2009, 07:53:18 PM
No, I'm used to the FM 86. It's just that the percussion is much more subdued on Anex86, which IMO greatly increases the musical quality.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: Matsuri on September 05, 2009, 08:32:55 PM
Well, I suppose you could pick whatever sounds better of the two and stick with that. I personally like the Akyu's Untouched Score versions, so I'm fine with FM96.  ;)
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 05, 2009, 08:48:50 PM
Actually, you know what's a bigger problem? The fact that THIS emulator slows down a bit. I got this new computer specifically so I wouldn't have to deal with slowdown, but there's some slight but noticeable lag with this Next emulator. I figure I can get used to the music...eventually...but this is a more valid issue. Any way to reduce slowdown? I thought Anex86 was the one taking up too much processor room.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: Matsuri on September 05, 2009, 08:59:22 PM
Yeah, play with the Next settings a bit. I did and it ran wonderfully (still does now).

Here's what I use.

(http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll65/momijitsukuyomi/next.png)

Match your settings to mine and give it a go.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 05, 2009, 09:20:24 PM
Nope. The lag is such that overall I reach Mugetu on the extra stage with the music a full three seconds later than on Anex86.

BTW, the fact that I'm using the English version wouldn't affect anything, right? And also, What does your "clock" setting mean?

But really, the most annoying thing is that testing the PC-98 games was the FIRST THING I ever did on this computer, and at the time it went splendidly. No lag, no jilty framerate, no flicker, nothing. Why does it do these things now?
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: Matsuri on September 05, 2009, 09:50:26 PM
Well frankly, computers like to fuck up at the drop of a hat when you least want them to. :V

I'm not sure what the clock settings mean, but I tested that at the highest setting (33mHz), and the game ran mega-slow. The setting below that has something to do with the game speed. I set that to the maximum setting and it was lightning fast. Maybe you can mess with that until you get a favorable speed-- just know that the music will speed up with that.

I haven't messed with those checkboxes to the right to know what they are, so maybe you can play with those until it runs well.

As for 'using the English Version', what do you mean? Your computer's locale or an English version of Next (which I didn't even know existed, actually)?

I set my computer to a Japanese locale so I didn't have to mess with AppLocale anymore-- but Next worked fine before I did that.

I'd say download the Japanese version of Next (if that's what you were referring to) and then match your settings to mine. Maybe that will do something. If you were referring to an English Version of Windows, either use AppLocale or just take the easy route and change your computer's global locale to Japanese.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: Shizumarashi Mayuzumi on September 05, 2009, 09:51:36 PM
And also, What does your "clock" setting mean?

自動 = Auto
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: Matsuri on September 05, 2009, 09:53:36 PM
And also, What does your "clock" setting mean?

自動 = Auto

*hi5*

Thanks, I was wondering what that meant. That's what I use-- it was a default setting if I recall.
Title: Re: PC-98 emulator flickering
Post by: nintendonut888 on September 05, 2009, 11:49:33 PM
Hmph. Do I REALLY have to record videos with this emulator? I just did a runthrough of HRtP hard (which is ridiculously easy once you learn how to play properly BTW), and the music...ignoring that I thought the lack of percussion in the original had a strange sort of charm to it, the music SLOWED DOWN. The game didn't seem to move slower (though I could easily read a boss' every move thanks to the fuller frame rate), but the MUSIC did. WTF. It's like the creators hate sound.